A SCOUT group has bid a fond farewell to its headquarters of 63 years.

The 2nd Chester-le-Street Scout Group has met at its hut beneath the town's railway viaduct in South Burns since 1940.

But the area is earmarked for a long-awaited redevelopment - a Tesco supermarket is planned - and it is having to move.

The group has been meeting at the Bullion Hall on a temporary basis since November but it continued to use the hut for equipment storage until last weekend.

Scout leader David Welch said: "It isn't as good as the building we have but it is better than the group folding.''

The group marked the ending of the link with its HQ with a special evening for former members and leaders a month ago.

Mr Welch said: "We have some land but if we are going to build something similar to this it would cost many thousands of pounds.

"We applied for a Lottery grant but unfortunately we were turned down.

"It will be the end of an era leaving here. It is well over 60 years, with a short break for the war when the Army took it over.''

The group has about 75 young members, aged six to 19.

Arthur 'Skip' Carver, 90, a founder member of the group in 1927, who led the group for 30 years and was made a life president, had a last look round the old HQ.